NEET scam: Tamil Nadu doctor suspected to be key conduit held
Theni (TN): A doctor, running a hospital in Vellore district was arrested on Sunday in connection with the ongoing probe into the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test impersonation case in Tamil Nadu, CB-CID police said.
The doctor is suspected to be a conduit who played a key role in alleged facilitation of impersonation in NEET test held in Tamil Nadu. Also, Rahul pursuing MBBS at Sree Balaji Medical College in Chennai and his father Davis have been arrested today, they said adding another girl student and her parents are also under the scanner in the case.
The Vellore district based medical practitioner allegedly liaisoned with an agent who facilitated the impersonation, they said. The doctor is also the father of an MBBS student studying at Government Dharmapuri Medical College, who is on leave for about two weeks and is suspected to be evading authorities.
Days ago, K V Udit Surya, a student of Theni Medical College, his doctor father, Venkatesan, a casualty medical officer at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai and a Kerala based agent Rasheed were arrested.
Allegedly, a proxy took up NEET instead of Udity Surya and based on the marks secured by the hired man, he joined the Theni Medical College.
Apart from using proxy, other angles like fudging NEET score were also being looked into in the impersonation case, the CB-CID said. After questioning the trio, it came to light that a number of other students from Tamil Nadu too had resorted to foul means to get admissions.
During preliminary inquiry, it was revealed that lakhs of rupees reportedly changed hands to help aspirants join MBBS through illegal means.
On Saturday, S Praveen, student of SRM Medical College in Chennai and his father A K S Saravanan were arrested.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
